Beyond the Ropes
by BubblyShell22
Summary: When Audriana Gregorio's wrestling career is cut short by the Purple Dragons, she feels that the only way to get back her purpose in life is to get even and get revenge, but will she get in over her head before the Turtles can get her out of it?
1. Chapter 1

Beyond the Ropes

Chapter 1: Cut Short

A/N: Hey, everyone, I'm back with yet another story. I know I really shouldn't keep doing this, but this plot bunny just kept eating at me, and I felt that I needed to get it out before I lost the thread of it again. As you all know, I'm a huge fan of professional wrestling, and I thought it would be cool to have my OC be a professional wrestler and work on the independent circuit rather than in the WWE. I've had her story in my head for a while, and I've finally settled on what I want to happen and how I want it to happen, so I hope to get chapters out as soon as I can, though I will be working between this and a few other stories I have on hold as well, so I'm not sure when I'm going to have chapters out. I hate to make promises and then break them. I know many people aren't fond of OCs in general. If you aren't, that's fine, and if you are, then I hope you enjoy this story as it comes out.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon Studios. I only own Audriana Gregorio and the plot of the story.

Summary: When Audriana Gregorio's wrestling career is cut short by the Purple Dragons, she feels that the only way to get back her purpose in life is to get even and get revenge, but will she get in over her head before the Turtles can get her out of it?

Audriana Gregorio sighed as she made her way to Murakami's noodle shop. It was time to go to work, and though she loved working with the blind chef, she sometimes hated the way customers would treat her. Still, it was the best job she could find since the only other job she had was as a wrestler, and that was only on the weekends. As she made her way into the shop, Murakami turned and smiled at her approaching footsteps. Audri was amazed at the way Murakami still functioned despite his handicap and how he never let it bother him in any way.

"Hello, Audri, how is your day going?" he asked.

She laughed. "Pretty good," she answered.

"Ah, I see," he said. "Are you excited for your wrestling match tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it should be a god one," she answered. "I'm tagging with Ali against two newbies. I just hope they don't mess it up."

"I am sure it will be fine," he said. "You are a good athlete and a fine worker."

"Thanks, Murakami-san," she said with a smile. Murakami always knew how to make her feel better and that was the best thing about this job. She put on her apron and joined him behind the counter. "So, what do you want me to do first?"

"Just stir these noodles for me, please," he answered. "I must get these other ingredients organized just in case we get a big crowd."

"You got it," she said. She immediately did as he asked while he bustled about. Although the noodle shop was called 24/7, it actually wasn't open that long, though it did keep late hours. Audri usually didn't work so late, but she knew that if Murakami needed her, she'd be willing to work as long as he wanted her to. Her mornings were spent working out at the gym and going to the training facility to work on matches if she was scheduled for them or to train while her afternoons were spent working at the noodle shop from one until six though the noodle shop opened up at twelve. Audri once asked Murakami why he never had the shop open in the mornings, and he stated that he did once, but nobody really came in for anything.

"They would rather get their breakfast at the fast food places or the coffee shops," he'd added.

It was sad in a way that he barely got business as it was, but Audri knew that he didn't let it get him down, which made her admire him more than ever. He just went with the flow and did what worked for the shop. He had been reluctant to hire Audri when she first asked for a job because he was the type to want to be independent and work on his own. Once he saw she was willing to do anything, however, he immediately felt it was his duty to hire her, and she had been part of the shop ever since. She loved wrestling and would have loved to make a steady career out of it, but it was impossible for that to happen, and she really wasn't sure if WWE would want her anyway.

She snapped out of these thoughts and continued to work, knowing that this was the only thing that would give her solace right now.

"So how is your mother?" Murakami asked her.

"She's good. I just talked to her yesterday. She wished me luck on my match, but she won't be there."

"Is she not a fan of your work?"

Audri shook her head. "Not really. I mean, she supports me as any mother would, but she doesn't understand what it's all about. She's not really into sports at all." Her mother had been baffled when Audri had told her she wanted to be a wrestler after she graduated high school. Her mother had been adamant about Audri going to college, but her daughter didn't want that for her life and had wanted to pursue her dream of being a wrestler. Knowing that she really couldn't stand in the way of Audri's drams, her mother had supported her and let her go on her own to pursue that dream. Although Audri was grateful for what her mother had done for her, she still couldn't understand why her mom was against the whole thing. Her dad would have supported her, but then again, he hadn't been in her life for a long time.

"Don't think about that," she told herself.

"What did you say, Audri?" Murakami asked.

"Nothing," she said hurriedly.

Murakami nodded as they continued to prepare for customers. Audri was thankful for once that Murakami couldn't see because he would notice the stricken look on her face and probably ask her more questions that she wouldn't want to answer.

22222

"Man, that was awesome!" Michelangelo yelled as he watched John Cena power out of a move and slam his opponent to the ground.

Rahael rolled his eyes. "Typical Cena," he grumbled. "Guy always ends up gettin' the victory."

"Yeah, but you can't help but admire his dedication to the business," Leonardo interjected.

Donatello sighed. "Why do you guys keep watching that stuff?" he complained. "You know it's fake garbage."

Raph rounded on his brother. "It is not!" he yelled. "You just don't wanna give it a chance."

Before Don could say anything more, Casey Jones and April O'Neil appeared carrying pizza for the four brothers.

"Pizza's here!" April called.

Mikey immediately leapt up and rushed over to her. "Did you get my favorite?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, I got us normal pizzas," she answered. "There's no way I'm getting you one of your crazy concoctions."

Mikey's face fell at that. His concoctions weren't crazy at all. They were a culinary masterpiece, but he knew that April and many others just didn't appreciate it the way he did.

Casey smiled as he ambled his way over to them. "Guys, you aren't gonna believe what I got," he began.

"Dude, are you sick?" Mikey asked in alarm. "If you are, maybe Donnie can fix you right up."

"Nah, I'm not sick, Mikey," he said. "I got tickets to Body Slam Wrestling at Madison Square Garden. It's a one night only show, and it's supposed to be good."

"Wait, so you couldn't get us tickets to a WWE show?" Raph asked him.

"No, they aren't wrestling here, but you'll love this stuff. It's still wrestling, and I figured you guys would go for it."

"It might be interesting," Leo noted. "And it'll be our first live event ever."

"Independent wrestling sucks," Raph grumbled. "It's nowhere near as good as WWE."

"But some of the best wrestlers started out in independents before making it to the big time," Casey pointed out. "Everyone has to get their start somewhere."

"Count me out," Don said. "I want nothing to do with it."

"Oh, I was hoping you would come, Donnie," said April. "It'll be fun."

Don's face lit up at April's words. "Well, if you're going, April, then I guess I could come," he said. As much as he detested professional wrestling, having a chance to hang out with April wasn't a bad thing in his book, and he'd take any chance he could to that even if meant going to something he knew he wouldn't enjoy.

"Great," April said.

"So when is it?" Mikey asked Casey.

"Tomorrow night," Casey answered. "I figured you guys didn't have anything going on, so I thought it would be a good chance for you to get out and enjoy something."

Raph sighed. "Okay, I'll go, but I don't have to like it," he said.

"As fascinating as this sounds, there is still the problem of your discretion," Splinter pointed out. "How are you going to get into an arena undetected where no one can see you?"

"They'll wear disguises, Master Splinter," Casey answered. "I got it all worked out."

"Sweet!" Mikey cheered. "Can we go, Sensei?"

Splinter sighed. He wasn't against wrestling at all and often enjoyed watching it with is sons, but he felt that this was too dangerous. "I am not comfortable with you being around so many humans, but since Casey has gotten the tickets, you may as well go and enjoy yourselves. I just want you to be cautious and not attract any attention to yourselves."

"Don't worry, Sensei, we'll be careful," Leo reassured him.

"Very well," Splinter said.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey cheered. "Now let's eat some pizza to celebrate!"

22222

After Audri got off work she got a call from her tag team partner, Alison Donnelly.

"Hey, Ali, what's up?" Audri asked as she answered.

"Hey, Audri, are you done with work?"

"Yeah, I just got off. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I wanted to remind you to come to the center to work on our match with those newbies. I just wanna make sure they get this right."

"I know, and I'll be there," she replied. "Murakami's giving me the day off so I can prepare for the match anyway, so we'll have plenty of time to go over it."

"Good. I want to give the fans a good show and make them want more."

Audri laughed. "Yeah, they'll never know what hit them."

"That's for sure," Ali replied. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night."

"You too," Audri said as she hung up.

Her phone rang again, and she gasped as she saw it was her father calling. Why would he be calling her? He hadn't spoken to her in years.

She debated not answering it, but curiosity got the better of her. "Hello?" she said.

"Hey, Aud, what's up?" her father asked.

"Why are you calling me?" she demanded.

"I heard you're having a match at Madison Square Garden and I wanted to come see it," he answered.

"How did you know that?"

"I saw it on the website," he replied. "You seriously think I haven't been following your career, Aud? It's been fantastic how you've become such a good wrestler."

"Why would you care?" she sneered. "You haven't been in my life for years after you cheated on Mom and walked out on us. Now I'm suddenly important to you since I've become a wrestler?"

"Aud, you know you've always been important in my life," he protested. "And you know I wasn't happy with your mom anyway. Besides, that's all in the past, and I want us to start fresh, you know?"

"Well, I don't!" she snapped. "I hate you, Dad, and I don't want to see you ever again!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Audriana," he said sadly. "I was really hoping we could reconnect."

She hung up without answering. How dare he try to call her and reconcile with her? It had been bad enough that he'd cheated on her mom with another woman, but Audri had been the one to catch them in the act, and that had scarred her for life. Her father had begged her not to tell her mom, but Audri wasn't one to keep secrets and had told her right away. Her mother confronted her dad and kicked him out of the house after he confessed to her that it was true. That had been a blow for Audri. She and her father had always shared a special bond and had always enjoyed watching wrestling together. In her heart, she had chosen wrestling because of her dad and because she felt it was a way to get her frustrations out about the whole thing out of her system. She wanted to be happy that he was following her career so closely and that he was proud of her, but she just couldn't be happy about that knowing what her father had put her through when he'd been unfaithful to her mom.

"Get over it, Audri," she told herself. "You don't need him in your life. Just move on and forget about him."

22222

As promised, Casey came up with the disguises for the Turtles, but when the four brothers saw them, they couldn't believe it.

"Trench coats?!" Raph yelled. "What the hell kind of disguises are these?"

"They're the best I could come up with on short notice," Casey answered.

"They look cool" Mikey said as he put on his trench coat and fedora hat. "I look like a detective in this thing." He pretended to be interrogating someone with a magnifying glass. "Now look here, see, you're gonna tell me who killed Eddie, see."

Raph smacked him upside the head. "Knock it off, doofus!" he snapped.

"Okay, let's get in there," Casey said. He led the way and gave the ticket holder the tickets. The guy waved them through without giving them a second glance, though Casey explained that a lot of weird people showed up as these events, so they probably wouldn't get a second look anyway.

"Thanks for the encouragement," Don said dryly.

They found their seats and sat down, waiting for the show to begin. April and Casey left to buy food for them and came back with some popcorn and hot dogs. The Turtles dug into the food and then waited as the show started.

22222

Audri was in the back stretching for her match. She was feeling really excited as she always did the day of a match. They had worked out the logistics and felt that the show was going to be good. She only hoped the rookies wouldn't screw things up as rookies sometimes did out of nerves.

"You ready for this?" Ali asked as she slapped her friend's shoulder.

"You know it," Audri answered. "Too bad we ain't on first."

"Yeah, I know, but we're on fourth, so that's pretty good," Ali reassured her.

"I guess so," Audri relented. "I just want to get it over with, you know?"

Ali nodded. "Boy, do I know that," she laughed.

Audri had wanted to be a wrestler straight out of high school and had looked around until she found Body Slam Wrestling. She had a tryout with them, and they had found she was a good athlete, even though she had never actually wrestled in her life. That hadn't stopped them from giving her a chance and she trained with them for two years before being given her first job offer for them. Since then, she'd worked for them, though she still felt the name could use some work. Hell, Matt and Jeff Hardy had created OMEGA out of their own heads, and it had been a success, but then again, they'd been more creative about it all. Brad Dearing didn't have that creative spark, so he'd come up with the lamest name ever, though it did work out for what it was. She enjoyed her time here and was happy with who she worked with.

Now it was time for her to steal the show as she always did. She took a deep breath as one of the technicians signaled that she was next for her tag match. She and Ali were coming out separately to their own entrances. She joined Ali and the other two rookies at the gorilla position as they waited for their cues to go out.

22222

The Turtles, Casey, and April were enjoying themselves immensely. They were getting into the matches and cheering for their favorites.

Mikey was skimming his program. "Hey, looks like there's a women's match up next," he said. "Should be pretty cool."

"Yeah, maybe they'll kick some butt," April said with a smile.

"Hell, I just hope they have a wardrobe malfunction," Casey joked. April elbowed him, and he immediately realized what he'd said. "I was just kiddin', Red. No need to get all mad at me."

"Be quiet, guys, it's starting," Leo admonished.

22222

The two rookies came out first and were introduced as Serena and Charity, the Avenging Angels. Then Ali came out as The Blonde Bombshell amidst a lot of cheers. Audri smiled for her friend because she knew she got a loud reception when she came out. Then it was Audri's turn to come out. Her music hit, and she came out, waving to the fans. Her face was obscured by a mask much like you would see at Mardi Gras. It was black with rhinestones around the edges and crown symbols also in rhinestones. Audri's character was La Reina de la Noche, the Queen of the Night, and she played it to perfection. She made her way to the ring and posed for the fans before joining Ali in the ring.

Ali started the match and went at Serena, trying to take her down, but Serena blocked Ali's move and countered it with a swinging neckbreaker. Ali sold it like a pro, pretending that she was in pain before getting up and punching at Serena once again. This time, her hit connected, and Serena hit the floor hard. Ali tagged in Audri who went to work mounting Serena and punching her so that she couldn't get up. Then she got off of Serena and yelled, "How do you like that, newbie?"

Serena got up and slapped Audri in the face. Enraged, Audri went at her, but Serena dodged and tagged in Charity. Charity went at Audri and picked her up, slamming her down into the mat. Audri sold it, pretending to grimace in pain and laid there for a few minutes before gingerly getting up and trying to go at Charity. Charity blocked her punch and went for her finishing move, but Audri managed to block it and hit Charity with her own move The Lights Out. Seeing her partner in trouble, Serena tried to come in, but Ali intercepted her, allowing Audri to get the pin and the win.

"Here are your winners, The Blonde Bombshell and La Reina de la Noche!" the announcer said. The referee held up their hands in victory.

22222

"That was awesome!" Mikey cheered as he watched the women celebrating. "I think La Reina de la Noche is so pretty!"

"Yeah, she's definitely a hot one," Casey commented.

"That was an amazing match," April said. "Those women were so good."

"I have to admit, they put on a good show," Don said.

The rest of the show went by, and the Turtles and their friends enjoyed themselves. After it was over, Casey and April went home while the Turtles decided to do some patrolling before calling it a night.

22222

Audri was on a high as she went backstage. That match had been amazing, and she was happy it had gone well. She met Ali, Serena, and Charity and smiled at them.

"That was great, guys," she commented. "Good job out there."

"Thanks," Serena replied. "We were so scared we were gonna mess up."

"But you didn't," Ali told her. "You guys were great."

They hit the showers, and then Audri decided to go walk home. Ali wanted to go with her, but Audri wanted to be alone as she always did after a show. As she stepped out the door, someone was waiting for her. She stiffened a bit when she recognized it was her father.

"Good job out there, Aud," he said. "You were great."

She glared at him. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I told you that I wanted to see your match," he answered. "Don't I have a right to be here?"

"Not really," she replied. "I told you I don't want to see you ever again."

"You really need to get over it, Aud," he told her. "I had my reasons for leaving your mom, and you need to understand that."

"It would have been different if you'd just gotten a divorce like normal people," Audri pointed out. "But you went behind her back and cheated on her with another woman. I'm not going to get over it and I'm not going to forgive you for it, either."

"Fine, then you're going to miss out on a lot of things," he said. "Good luck with your life, Audriana." He turned and left, not even looking back.

Audri was pissed. How dare he show up at her match and try to reconcile with her? Didn't he haven any shame for what he did? Didn't he realize how horrible her life had been after that? She stormed away and decided to cut through an alley to save time, but just as she did, she found herself surrounded by three men known as the Purple Dragons.

"Look what we have here, boys," Fong, the leader, said.

"Man, she's a hot little thing," Sid added.

"Hey, she's that wrestler from that match," Tsoi chimed in. "You were pretty good, sweet thing."

Audri was scared, but she tried not to show it. "Get away from me!" she snarled.

"Hey now, that's no way to treat a man," Fong scolded. "How about we have a wrestlin' match to see who gets her?"

Sid smirked. "That sounds good to me," he answered.

Audri didn't like the sound of that, but she figured she could take them with her wrestling skills. After all, they may watch wrestling on TV, but they didn't know how to do it right. Fong came at her, but Audri dodged him. He came at her again, and she connected with a strong punch to his jaw. Fong fell to the ground, and Tsoi came at her next. Audri kicked him in the groin and went to punch him, but Sid grabbed her. She struggled, but she couldn't get out of the big man's grip.

"Looks like you need to be taught a lesson," he commented. Then he picked her up and gave her a piledriver on the cement. Audri had been on the receiving end of a few piledrivers herself, but this was different. She felt excruciating pain before everything went black.

22222

The Turtles were patrolling the streets when they heard a commotion in an alley. They went to investigate and saw a woman surrounded by three Purple Dragons. They watched as she talked to them and began to fight them.

"Wait, that's La Reina de la Noche!" Mikey pointed out. "What's she doing?"

"She's fightin' back," Raph answered.

They watched as she made short work of Fong and Tsoi before Sid picked her up and gave her a piledriver.

"Holy shit!" Raph swore. "That's outta line!"

"Time to intervene," Leo declared.

The four brothers jumped down and confronted the Dragons. A short battle ensued before the thugs got away. Raph wanted to go after them, but Donnie said that they needed to get help for the woman.

"Let's take her to the Lair," Mikey suggested. "I'm sure you could patch her up, Donnie."

Don shook his head. "There's no way I can help her, Mikey," he said. "And it would be too dangerous to bring her to the Lair. I'll call an ambulance for her." He pulled out his T-Phone and dialed 911. After talking to the operator, Don put his T-Phone away. "The ambulance is on the way."

"Then we'll stay here until they arrive," Leo decided.

It wasn't long before the ambulance arrived. Paramedics got out and examined the woman before loading her on a stretcher. Once it was gone, the four brothers headed back home, worried about the woman and hoping that she was okay.

22222

When Audri awoke, the first thing she registered was that she was lying down in a strange room. Had the Dragons captured her? She braced herself and waited to see one of them, but the only one who came through her door was a nurse.

"Ah, you're awake,' the nurse chirped. "That's good news. The doctor should be along shortly."

"What happened?" Audri asked.

"You broke your neck," the nurse answered. "Pretty nasty injury. Do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah, some guy gave me a piledriver on the cement," Audri answered. "Will I be okay?"

"That's for the doctor to determine," the nurse replied. "He should be in shortly."

Audri sighed as the nurse checked a few things and then left. How could this have happened to her? She had been in some crazy matches over the years, but this took the cake for her. She waited until the doctor came in to look at her.

"Well, it's good to see you awake," he said. "I'm Doctor Farrelly, Ms. Gregorio. How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck," Audri answered. "What happened to me?"

"Well, judging by the X-Rays, you sustained a severely broken neck. It's a wonder you weren't paralyzed."

"Will it heal?"

"Yes, but it's going to take some time as it was a very bad break."

"So, I'll be able to wrestle again?" she asked.

The doctor's face turned grave. "I'm sorry, Ms. Gregorio, but your wrestling career is over," he said. "If you even try to get back into the ring, you could risk permanent paralysis."

The words hit her with the force of a freight train. Her career was over. She could no longer be La Reina de la Noche. This couldn't be happening to her! What would she do now?

"I'm so sorry," Dr. Farrelly repeated. "But at least you're alive, and that's what counts. I'll come by later today to check on you." He patted her shoulder and left.

Audri was enraged. Those Purple Dragons had done this to her. They had ruined her career for good with their stupid stunt. No one would ever want to hire her now. She had nothing else to do with her life except work at Murakami's and while that wasn't a bad thing, she still wanted to be a wrestler. Now that had been taken away from her. Wrestling had been her dream, and now that dream had been cut short. But Audri knew there was one thing she could do and one thing she had to do.

The Purple Dragons had to pay for this.

A/N: Wow. Nineteen pages! I can't believe I got that far! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and if you have any questions regarding anything I mentioned in this story, feel free to ask and I'll answer you as soon as I can. I tried to make the match as interesting as possible, so I hope I did okay with that. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Saviors Revealed

A/N: So here's the next chapter of Beyond the Ropes. I have to admit I'm having a blast writing this story and definitely can't wait to give you more of it. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words have been great, and it means the world to me that you're going to take a chance on this story and my OC. So thanks a million.

Disclaimer: TMNT belongs to Nickelodeon. I only own Audriana Gregorio and anyone else you don't recognize.

Mikey scrolled through the results of his search for La Reina de la Noche. Ever since the wrestling match and the skirmish with the Dragons, Mikey had been searching for more about the female wrestler. To him, she was utterly beautiful, and he couldn't help but worry about her and wonder if she was okay. He saw a video and clicked on it. It showed her in a match with another female wrestler, and Mikey kept his eyes locked on the screen.

"Mikey, are you done borrowing my computer?" Donnie asked him. "I really need it."

"But, Donnie, I'm watching a video!" Mikey protested.

"Well, I have more important stuff to do," Don reminded him. "April just told me about a Kraang facility that's been discovered, and I want to look into it. Now hand it over."

Sighing in frustration, Mikey closed the video and handed the laptop back to his brainy brother. Then he went into the living area where Raph and Leo were watching an episode of Super Robo Mecha Force Five.

"You watchin' videos of your girlfriend, Mikey?" Raph teased.

"I think she's a bit too old for you, Mikey," Leo said.

"She's only thirty-two," Mikey said. "That's not such a big difference."

"Actually, it is," Raph reminded him. "And I don't get why you care anyway. It's not like anything's gonna happen with you two."

"You never know," Mikey said and continued to daydream about La Reina de la Noche and how he would run his hand through her curly dark hair and kiss those beautiful lips. She wouldn't care that he was a mutant turtle and would love him no matter what.

"I can't believe she took on all three Purple Dragons," Raph muttered. "Was she askin' for a death wish?"

"I think it was more about bravery than anything," Leo noted. "She probably figured she could take them on because she's a wrestler."

"Okay, Mikey, I'm done!" Don called. "You can have the laptop back!"

"Sweet!" Mikey yelled and dashed back to continue watching the video. After he was done, he searched on MyFace and saw that she had a page of her own. As he scanned the posts, he noticed that her last one had been before the match and that she hadn't made any since. That was probably because she was in the hospital and didn't have access to a laptop. He hoped that she'd update her page soon and let him know if she was okay or not.

22222

Audri was getting sick of visitors.

The first one to visit her after she'd woken up had been her mom, and she was hysterical as she burst into the room.

"Audriana, thank God you're awake!" she sobbed. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, besides my broken neck, I'm okay," Audri answered.

"You will heal at least," her mother told her. "It is truly a miracle that you are alive."

"More like luck to me," Audri replied bitterly. "And I honesty wish I hadn't come out of it anyway."

Her mother had gasped. "What do you mean, mi hija?"

"I mean that my wrestling career is over," Audri answered sadly. "If I try to wrestle again, I'll get paralyzed."

"Then perhaps this is God's way of telling you that wrestling is not in your future," her mother concluded. "I always knew it was a bad idea, and now I know that I was right."

"What happened to me had nothing to do with my career!"Audri snapped. "It was those stupid Purple Dragons who decided to pile drive me into the ground, not anyone else! I swear, they're going to pay!"

"Now, mija, don't be too hasty," her mother warned her. "You know you can't do anything rash. Perhaps you should let the police handle it."

Audri snorted. "Yeah, as if they care," she scoffed.

"But someone did because they called 911," her mother informed her.

"I don't remember that, but I was out cold," Audri told her. "Do you know who it was?"

Her mother shook her head. "No, but I do know that they called the ambulance to take you to the hospital. They wanted to remain anonymous, so they never gave a name."

Audri pondered on this for a little while. Whoever it was had been kind enough to do that one act for her, and it meant a lot to her. She'd probably never know who it was, but it warmed her heart to know that there were still good people in the world. "That was nice of them," she said.

"So what do you plan to do once you're out of the hospital?"

"I'll probably just keep working at Murakami's," she answered.

"Why not go to school? I think it's about time you got an education and honed your skills."

"I don't want to go to school, Mom," Audri told her. "Murakami is a reasonable boss. He pays me well and is really nice. I like working there, and I'm not going to stop."

Her mother sighed. "I guess you're right," she relented. "Then you do what you need to do."

"Did you take Toby outside for me?" Audri asked her.

"Yes, and he was a good boy about it, too. I might take him home with me until you're released so that he's not on his own."

"Good idea. I know he likes you."

"Well, I'd better get going. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm as fine as I'm going to be, Mom."

Her mother kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Audriana. Never forget that."

"I don't know how I could," Audri replied with a smile. She watched as her mom left and felt guilty that she hadn't brought up her encounter with her dad. She knew that if she did that, her mom would get enraged and want to go over and beat him up, but it still made her uneasy. She always shared everything with her mom, but this was one thing she just couldn't bring herself to do yet.

Her next set of visitors consisted of her co-workers and her boss from Body Slam Wrestling.

Ali rushed to her side and gave her a gentle hug. "How are you feeling, Audri?"

"I'm alive," she answered.

"You don't look the worse for wear," Tyler commented. "Maybe Mr. Flex could give you a massage."

Audri rolled her eyes. "No thanks. And you really need to change that name. It's so tacky."

"Hey, you use whatever will work in the industry," Tyler protested, flexing his muscles. "The ladies can't resist these babies."

Brad came over to her next. "I'm so glad you're going to be okay, Audri," he said. "I wanted to discuss what will happen once you're released from the hospital and what your storyline will be."

A grave look crossed Audri's face. None of them knew she wasn't going to be wrestling again. "I'm sorry, Brad, but I can't wrestle anymore. My career is over."

Ali gasped. "Are you serious?!" she cried.

"Yep. The doctor said that if I try to wrestle again, I could risk permanent paralysis."

"Well that sucks," Tyler grumbled.

"So what else can you do?" Serena asked her.

"I guess I'll just keep working at Murakami's," Audri answered.

"Or you could be a trainer or manager," Charity suggested.

Audri shook her head. "No, I don't think that'll work for me. You know that I want to wrestle, and if I can't have that, then I have no reason even being there."

"But you're an asset to our company, Audri," Brad insisted. "We'd be happy to give you a job where you could still be seen by the fans."

"I'm sorry, Brad, but I just can't," she said. "Those days are over for me."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, you can always come back," said Brad.

"Thanks. So what's been going on with you guys?"

"Not much," answered Ali. "We tore the house down with that match though."

"Well my dad was there," revealed Audri.

"Why did he come?" demanded Ali.

"He wanted to see my match. I told him I wanted nothing to do with him, but I guess he didn't take the hint."

"You should have called security," Tyler said. "He can't keep bullying you like that."

"I handled it just fine, Ty," she reassured him. "No need to get all upset over it."

"But it's bullshit that he leaves you and your mom and then decides he wants you in his life again."

"I know, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. I guess I'll just have to deal with it."

"Well, we're glad you're going to be okay," Ali said, giving Audri another hug.

"Yeah, we'll visit you again soon," Tyler promised.

"I'll hold you to that," she joked.

"And if you need anything, you let us know," Brad told her.

She smiled and watched them exit her room. It was so great that they were supportive of her and had come to visit her. It hurt that she'd never be able to wrestle again, but it made her feel good that Brad decided that he didn't want to give up on her so easily. Still, it would hurt her to train all of the wrestlers while never getting to do it herself. She figured the best thing was to steer clear of wrestling for good so she wouldn't get that bad feeling.

Murakami also visited her and gave her some pizza gyoza, saying that he was glad she was okay and that she could work as long as she needed to at the shop. Audri was happy about that and thanked him kindly. It was in the middle of this visit that another unwelcome visitor turned up.

"Hey, Aud, I'm so glad you're okay," her father said as he came into the room.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Audri demanded.

"I heard you were in the hospital and came to visit you. I can't believe those Purple Dragons did that to you, but at least you'll be back in the ring in no time."

"I'm not going back, Dad. My career is over thanks to them."

"So what will you do now?"

"I'm going to work at Murakami's and make money there. I've been doing it for a long time now, and I enjoy it. Dad, this is Mr. Murakami. Mr. Murakami, this is my father, Giuseppe Gregorio."

Her father shook Murakami's hand. "Please, call me Joe," he said.

"It is very nice to meet you. Audri has told me much about you."

"I see. And what exactly has she told you?"

"Just the basics," Audri said. "How you raised me and then decided to leave Mom and me for some other bitch. Where is she by the way? Did she not have the guts to come and see me face to face?"

"Mariana had to work, so she couldn't make it," her dad said stiffly. "But she sends her regards."

"Well, she can take those regards and shove them up her ass," Audri said bitterly.

"I don't get you, Aud," he said. "Why do you continue to punish me for what I did?"

"I've gone over this with you, Dad. You broke my heart when you cheated on Mom. You weren't supposed to do that, and yet you did. I don't want to discuss it anymore, and I'd appreciate it if you'd just go away."

He sighed. "Fine, but I'm not giving up on you, Aud. I'm still determined to make this work." He nodded at Murakami. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Muarakmi. Take care of my daughter." Then he turned and walked out of the room.

Audri fumed after him. "That sneaky son of a bitch!" she raged. "How dare he show up here? And how did he know I was in the hospital anyway?"

"I do not know, but it does no good to dwell on it now, Audri-chan. Try to calm down."

"I can't calm down when someone like that invades my space, Murakami-san," Audri insisted. "It's just not cool."

"I know how you feel, but you need to be strong. Let him know you will not be subservient to him or his new wife."

"Oh, I'll do more than that. I'd like to break her damn nose."

"I do not think that will be the answer. I had better get back to the shop. I am glad you will be okay and that you can continue to work for me."

"Thanks for coming, Murakami-san. It means a lot to me."

He patted her shoulder and left, leaving her to her very messed up thoughts. It sucked that her dad wanted to make amends after what he'd done. Why couldn't he accept that she wanted nothing to do with him and just move on? She decided that she had to tell her mom as soon as possible about all of it. She couldn't keep it from her any longer. With that last thought, Audri settled down to sleep, hoping that her dreams would be better than her reality was.

22222

"Focus, Michelangelo!" Splinter chastised.

Mikey snapped out of his thoughts in time to dodge the sai that was aimed for his face. "Sorry, Sensei," he apologized.

"You better snap out of it, Mikey," Raph scolded. "I could have killed you with that move."

"Aww, you wouldn't kill me, Raphie," Mikey assured him. "You maybe would scratch me a bit, but that's it."

Splinter ended practice and asked to speak to Mikey alone. Knowing that he was in trouble for his lapse in thought, Mikey dejectedly followed his father to his room.

"What has distracted you this time, my son?" Splinter asked him.

"I keep thinking about that woman we saved, Sensei," Mikey answered. "I just can't help but feel sorry for her."

"You are talking about the female wrestler you saw at your event, am I correct?"

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, and it was horrible to see Sid pile drive her like that."

"I am sure it was, but you did the right thing and saved her life. I am sure she would be grateful for that if she knew what you did. She is safe now, and I am sure she will make a full recovery."

"I know that, but what if it happens again? She wasn't able to take them all on herself. I was thinkin' that maybe you could teach her some moves to help her defend herself."

Splinter was taken aback by his son's words. "You would want me to teach a woman I have never met and do not know ninjitsu so she can defend herself? You know it does not work that way, my son. I cannot just take anyone into our home and teach them our art."

"But you were willing to teach April!" Mikey protested. "And you even let Donnie teach The Pulverizer! What's so different about either of them and La Reina de la Noche?"

"The difference is that April has a special gift, and I knew that it would benefit her to learn our art and to protect herself. As for Timothy, I was reluctant to teach him, but I knew Donatello was determined to still teach him despite my misgivings, so that is why I gave him leave to do so. But this other woman is someone I am not familiar with, and I am not going to teach her."

"Well, maybe I could show you some videos so you could get to know her,' Mikey suggested.

"Seeing videos of her is not going to help me to get to know her, Michelangelo," Splinter said firmly. "I am sorry, but I cannot teach her."

Mikey wanted to argue some more, but he knew that once Splinter set his mind on something, it was set. Deciding it was a lost cause, Mikey got up when Splinter dismissed him and left the dojo. It wasn't fair that Splinter wasn't willing to give this woman a chance. She deserved to know how to defend herself and what better way to learn than from Splinter himself?

"Hey, Mikey, we're going to Murakami's," Leo said when he spotted Mikey. "You want to come?"

"Yeah, that'll be great, Leo," Mikey replied. "I could sure go for some pizza gyoza right about now."

22222

Audri sighed as she stirred the noodles Murakami was preparing. She had finally been released from the hospital, and it was a relief not to have to stare at those boring walls again. Murakami had been happy to see her, though she did wish she didn't have to wear the stupid neck brace and wished she could take it off.

"It is so good to see you back, Audri-chan," Murakami said. "I have missed your happy presence."

Audri laughed. "Well, I wouldn't exactly call me happy right now. I just wish I could take this neck brace off."

"Yes, but you need it still to help you, so it's a good thing. Now, go watch for customers. I can handle the noodles from here."

Audri did as he asked though she wasn't sure that anyone would come out today. Then she spotted some figures making their way over to the shop. It was a little weird as they kept ducking behind buildings at certain intervals. As they came closer, Audri noticed that they were dressed in costumes and wearing masks. Her heart started beating as she realized that these guys were probably going to rob the shop.

"Murakami-san, there are four guys dressed in turtle costumes coming this way," she reported. "Should I call the police?"

Murakami chuckled. "No, Audri-chan, they are friends of mine," he said.

So Audri watched as the four men made their way into the shop. They stopped short when they saw her, and looks of uneasiness came over their faces until the one in the orange mask slowly began to recognize her.

"Hey, you're La Reina de la Noche!" he cried. "I saw your wrestling match live! You were amazing!"

"Thanks," she replied. "But outside of the ring I go by Audriana Gregorio or Audri for short."

"That's a pretty name," the orange masked Turtle said. "My name's Michelangelo, but everyone calls me Mikey."

"I see," she said. "And what about the others you're with?"

The one in the blue mask stepped forward. "I'm Leonardo, but you can call me Leo for short," he said. "The one in purple is Donatello, or Donnie and the one in red is Raphael, but we call him Raph."

"So who exactly are you?" Audri asked them.

"We're the ones who saved your life," the one called Raphael said. "You gonna thank us yet?"

Audri glared at him. "No need to be an asshole about it," she said. "So you were the ones who called the ambulance?"

"I did," Donatello piped up. "Mikey wanted to take you to the Lair, but I figured that would be too dangerous."

"Well, thanks for saving my life," Audri said to them.

"No problem," Mikey piped up. "It's what we do. So when are you gonna get back in the ring?"

"I'm sorry, but my career is over," Audri said sadly. Every time she said it, it was like a nail in the coffin. "If I try to get back to wrestling, I could risk permanent paralysis."

Mikey's blue eyes softened. "That's a bummer," he said. "I have an idea though. Maybe you could learn how to be a ninja so you can defend yourself. We have an awesome teacher who would be glad to give you some training."

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn a few things," she amended. "Where's his dojo so I can sign up?"

"Um, we'll have to take you to it," Mikey answered.

"Mikey, this isn't a good idea," Leo said. "Look, Audri, I know you want to learn how to defend yourself, but our father is very particular about letting anyone into our home."

"I can understand that," she said. "But aren't you guys adults?"

"We're fifteen actually," Donnie piped up.

"Oh, I didn't know that," she said. "So why do you wear turtle costumes?"

"They aren't costumes, dudette," Mikey said. "We're mutants."

Audri's face paled. "Mutants?" she repeated.

"Yep. We were just ordinary pet shop turtles when some mutagen spilled n us and turned us into the awesome dudes we are now."

"And what does your father think of this?"

"He's cool with it. He's a mutant rat, so he knows how it feels to be changed. But he was once human himself."

"Mikey, that's enough!" Leo chastised. "Look, we'll have to talk to our father and see if he'll consent to training you before we let you into our home."

"I understand," Audri said, but Mikey intervened.

"I have a better idea. Let's just take her to the Lair and let her meet Sensei. I'm sure once he meets her and gets to know her, he'll be dying to train her."

"Mikey, I don't think that's a good idea," Leo replied.

"Sure it is," Mikey insisted. "Would that be okay, Murakami-san?"

"That would be fine if Audri wants to," Murakami replied.

"Great," Mikey said. "You in, Audri?"

"I guess I can give it a try," Audri replied.

"Awesome!" Mikey shouted. "Look we'll have to blindfold you so you don't know the way to our Lair. Our dad's pretty strict about stuff like that."

"That's fine, I guess," Audri said, though she was a bit confused by the whole thing.

Mikey took off his mask and tied it around her then moved it so she couldn't see. Then he led her out of the shop and they walked for a bit until he stopped her.

"Are we there?" she asked.

"Nope, we have to go into the sewers to get there," Mikey answered.

Audri wasn't too fond of this idea, but she had promised she would go along with this. She felt Mikey scoop her up and then heard something scrape back. Then she felt herself falling and was frightened until she remembered that someone was holding her. It didn't last long before she was on solid ground again. She felt Mikey release her and take her hand as he guided her through the sewers.

"Why do you guys hide down here?" she asked.

"Because we can't exactly rent an apartment," Raph quipped.

The trip was a bit long, but in no time, Mikey revealed that they had reached the Lair and removed the blindfold from her face. Audri gasped as she took in the size of the Turtles' home. It was huge and filled with things Audri couldn't even imagine being in a sewer home. She was about to take it all in when Mikey began pulling her along.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to Sensei," he said.

But before they could go further, someone else spoke up, and by the sounds of things, they didn't seem too happy.

"What is the meaning of this?" the voice demanded as a mutant rat stepped out of the shadows. Although Mikey had warned her about his appearance, it did startle her, but what startled her more was the voice. She had heard that voice before, and she was amazed that she was hearing it again.

The rat stopped in front of her. "Michelangelo, I told you that I did not want to teach anyone else," he scolded, but then his eyes fell on her, and a look of recognition crossed his face. "Audriana?" he gasped.

Her eyes widened as she took in his amber eyes set in his new face. "Yoshi?" she cried.

A/N: Yep, I'm ending it here and for a good reason. So how do Audri and Yoshi know each other? You'll find that out in the next chapter. In the meantime feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


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